In true farm fashion, our activities were determined by the weather, and our plans changed literally at the last minute. Since today was Sunday, everyone got to sleep in and/or go to church with Dr. HN.  We had planned to go to see a guy named Mark Tintjer, a master beekeeper, a few miles down the road.  Bees only come out when there is enough sunlight, so today’s dark overcast skies did not bode well.   However, just as Dr. HN gave up hope on seeing the bees, Mark called and said, “So are you coming?”

I learned so much that I don’t even know where to begin! Well, I guess I should start off by saying beekeeping is a lot more complicated than I ever thought, granted I never actually thought too much about bee keeping.  Keeping the colony healthy is all about understanding bee behavior, including keeping a balance between populations (or else, they’ll swarm away from your farm and create a new colony).  Mark was amazing, and I was in awe of how much he knew.  He said that he started by just reading a book, but a lot of it comes from on-the-job trial and error, like normal farming.  His biggest problems come from neighboring farms spraying their pesticides or planting genetically-modified crops.  The pesticides that are sprayed onto or are produced naturally by these plants ultimately poison the colonies.  Bees will travel up to two miles to find good pollen, but when surrounded by pesticide-laden cornfields, there are very few alternatives.

Did you know that there basically is a “Big Bee” industry, just as there is Big Corn, Big Pork, etc.  It makes a lot of sense because all of that supermarket honey has to come from somewhere, but, like I said, I never really thought about it.  Especially in California, there are farms that have thousands of colonies to produce honey and even queen bees that keepers across the nation can purchase.  To keep the bees healthy, the big farmers sprinkle antibiotics on the slats in the bee boxes for them to eat.  However, just like everywhere else, the bacteria is evolving, and keepers are trying to find new antibiotics to keep them at bay.  We also do not see quite the same regulatory battles as other parts of the food industry because, unlike other foods, honey cannot spoil. The only way honey can become a public health hazard is if the keeper puts something in the honey.  By the way, bees produce a lot of honey, if you didn’t already know.  Out of Mark’s less-than-twenty colonies, he produced two and a half tons in one year.  The past two years have been especially good because of the dry summer weather, which Mark noted produces more pollen and less water for the bees.

I know I am  leaving out a bunch of information, but I think it would be a good thing for you, readers, to do some homework about bees.  They do wonders for your gardens and are fascinating creatures.  You can order them online; queens typically cost between $20 and $30.

(P.S. The larva aren’t too bad, either.  All of us ate live ones, and they pretty much tasted like mushrooms.)

We then went to visit Glen Hodnefield, one of Dr. HN’s high school friends, who is a devotée of no-till farming and other conservation practices.  He described his philosophy by saying, “Soil is your factory.  You can’t replace it, so you certainly don’t want to lose it.” Some of his farm ground includes highly-erodable land, or “HEL,” and is required to have a conservation plan before receiving subsidized crop insurance.  One part of the plan modifies the amount of tillage allowed on the field, including reduced and none.  No-till farming is when you leave the previous year’s leftover stalks and leaves (what he called “residue”) to slowly decompose, yet also holding the soil in place and retaining the nutrients.  There is no need to plow up the land.  However, he also participates in a variation of no-till, which is strip-till farming.  Here, you clear out rows where you will plant the seeds and apply the appropriate fertilizer and pesticides.  Corn plants need this more than soy beans because they need more room to grow.  Glen is also a fan of not allowing chemicals to get into waterways.  Therefore, he plants grass waterways that directs water away from roads and streams and buffer strips around waterways that help slowly filter out nutrients.

I believe Hedley asked a really good question when she said, “Why wouldn’t farmers want to voluntarily do these things?” Glen said it was largely because people like tradition.  This is the historical way, proven and true.  Farmers like the big machines because it makes them feel the most productive and possible.  Therefore, they must be shown that these practices can be just as profitable, without the risks to the environment and with smaller machines.

We had two big activities today with a trip to a beekeepers house in the middle of corn and soy fields and a trip to a no-till farmer to hear about his practice, conservation programs, and tiling. First we visited Mark Tintjer’s house, which he built. He had built the gazebo, the house, the porch, the lake, and the majority of his beekeeping equipment. He also went to a number of fairs to present his work with his bees, including beeswax art. Even more impressively he has ~42 hives after just reading a book about keeping and trying it with two hives.

RCategories

When we got there he introduced himself and told us about some basic bee information. We heard about varroa and tracheal mites, colony collapse disorder (CCD), and the problems that monocropping and insecticide use on farms causes for bees. Then we got to suit up and see several of his hives and help look for the queen bee (considerably longer, but not as wide as a male drone). Throughout this work he gave us even more information about general beekeeping, how far they travel for food, swarming, and dozens of facts about the way bees act. After transferring a few starter hives into bigger permanent ones he took us to his established colonies and let us see his technique to naturally control the varroa mite. There are three types of bees: queen, worker, and drone. The queen is biggest and lays all the eggs, the drones are only there to fertilize the queen which only occurs at the beginning of her life, and then all other bees are female worker bees. Apparently, the varroa mite has realized that the bigger drones take longer to mature so they are the preferred target for mites to lay their eggs on, and mites lay their eggs on the larvae. So Mark added a section of honeycombed sized for drones (the queen lays different eggs based on the size of the cell) to attract the mites. Before these are fully grown, but a little after they are laid, he will cut off this section with all the larva and newborn mites to feed to his birds. With this he keeps some of the mites from successfully breeding and in a chemical-free manner. In a Fear Factor-themed moment he also mentioned that people can eat the larva as a high protein snack, and almost all of us ate one of them. Unfortunately for Adam and me, they somehow taste mushroom like and both of us hate mushrooms, so it wasn’t the most pleasant  taste.. He next took us to his basement where he separates comb and honey, makes beeswax candles, and creates was art such as:

Lastly he and his wife provided us with some rhubarb pie and three different honeys to taste the difference. He was experienced, self taught, conversational, and very much a man who enjoyed the work! I’m certainly interested in bees and find learning about them incredibly fascinating so this talk for me, especially from someone who had learned the vast majority of it himself through experience, was a great unexpected addition to this trip. Mark even let us each come back with some of his mold candles shaped like bees for free! I think I second another farm May-Xers opinion that it’s kind of disappointing to hear that even working so many hives on top of a small garden Mark also has to work for a pasta company to make the money to support his family.

Next we went to Glen’s farm (not our Professor Glen), but Glen Hodnefield, who farms over 1000 acres, and who uses all no-till methods on this operation.. His beliefs were that no till does not hamper the plants much, soy not at all, but that the plant debris from the previous crop keeps the rain from taking as much soil and nutrients with it. He also suggested strip tilling which just pushes the debris to the side of planted rows while adding a single file of fertilizers. This method keeps the corn happy since it doesn’t grow as well when crowded with debris. Both methods also help build soil water retention and reduce fuel needs too (no run with a tiling machine). Lastly we learned about tiling and how pipes were dug underground to drain the wetland-prairie landscape initially so that the land could be farmed. Many of these systems surprisingly still work from the early 1900s or earlier!

It was a day with two different scales and different views on conservation, both from those who do things to help the environment. This put up the interesting idea that even within environmental oriented agriculturalists there are a lot of different opinions on what is good and what isn’t (Mark was not a fan of mono crops, pesticides and fertilizer). If anyone wants more info on the bees I’d recommend checking the website of the beekeepers association of your state or some local beekeepers.

With the weather being off and on we didn’t know how the day would go, but we lucked out and got to see the bees with Mark Tintjer. It was crazy how much goes into bee keeping. We started looking at just three colonies and watched as Mark transferred the bees from one small hive to a larger one. He smoked them before he did so to calm them down because it was supposed to make them think it was a forest fire; in the forest scenario, the bees would want to store honey in case they had to flee. He pulled out each row of honey comb to try to find the queen bee to show us. The process is very neat on how the hive operates. The drones, or males, are only made to fertilize the eggs. They have no other purpose because all the worker bees are female. The queen bee has no stinger so she can’t die and she is fed royal honey at the beginning to become fertile and bigger than the rest. The colonies attitudes reflect the queen bee, which I found fascinating. Also its a long process from when Mark gets the honey out to when its ready to eat–a very time consuming process, which until our visit this afternoon I never knew. And honey is HEAVY! The bees also produce an insane amount. In 2013, his 42 hives produced 2.5 tons of honey. WOW! Also, we ate a drone bee larvae. It was very slimy and very gross, but apparently a good source of protein.

Another topic that was touched on by Mark and his wife was the harmful effects of the pesticides being sprayed on the corn fields by his neighbors. The wind blew these pesticides onto the Tintjners’ organic garden and exacted significant damage.. The pesticide drift caused a dramatic loss to their vegetables and impacted the food they were able to put on the table that year. Finally they filed a claim and got reimbursed for the loss of the produce.  Even though they got the money back they were not able to enjoy their organic veggies because of the harmful effects of pesticides.

Lastly, we went to a no till farm ran by a man named Glen Hodnefield who had been using no-till practices since 1991. The land has been in his family for over 100 years and he was very proud that he was keeping it going, along with the innovations he had made to the farm practices. By using no till he was able to minimize soil erosion. He showed us a spot where the soil would have been moved by a rainstorm but rather than washing out the corn plants, the water moved the residue, not the topsoil.   He also informed us on the drainage system of the farm and showed us the tile that was under the ground taking the water away so the Iowa pot hole prairie could be farmed.. It’s hard to imagine that people put these tiles down by hand in the early 20th century. The amount of work that went into the land to make it able to farm on is very impressive.

The erosion of the no-till protecting the soil

Today was a hectic but informative day. Sleeping in was much needed, but unfortunately I think my sugar has been low all day. The first thing we did today was go to a bee keeping farm. Once I got past the initial shock of thousands of bees flying around me (and once I got a mask on), I really enjoyed myself. I had never been around non-wild bees so this was a wholly new experience for me. I learned that it actually takes a lot for bees to sting you since Mark, the beekeeper, was picking them up and moving their hives and even wound up dropping and breaking a comb without ever getting stung. I learned that drones, the male bees, are not very useful so drone larva is not very valuable. They are also, apparently, edible, since everyone in the group ate one but me. I’ve tried a lot of new things on this trip, but I draw the line at eating bugs. This man is incredibly talented, making honey and beeswax art, and I think it is very sad that he can’t support himself doing just that and has to work at a factory as well.

I really enjoyed hearing Mark and his wife’s opinion on GMOs. The described how much the chemicals in pesticides that are genetically modified into these plants affect the bees. It ultimately kills them and doesn’t leave the soil when the plant dies. If it can kill bees in small amounts, what is it doing to the cattle that eats the corn? And, continuing the same train of thought, what is it doing to the people who eat the meat of this cattle? I know that this opinion, and how well they articulated and supported it, has started to change Hedley’s pro-GMO opinion. On the contrary, it has strengthened my budding anti-GMO stance.

After that, we met a farmer named Glen who practices no-till farming. Basically, no-till is an agricultural practice where all of the left over crop from the previous harvests is left on the field, and the seeds are planted into the residue.  Glen utilizes strip till practices where the nitrogen-phosphorous-potash are applied in a strip and the seed is planted into this strip.  This uses less nutrients than broadcasting them across the field.  These practices help prevent soil erosion and hold water in the soil. Glen really sold the practice to us and made it seem like it was almost all positive. After hearing him, I can’t really imagine why more farmers don’t do it. Is it really just because conventional farmers are too stubborn, or is there more that he didn’t tell us? I really want to ask Brent Friest his opinion next time the next time I go visit the horses.

The primary till machine in a no-till or strip till farm!

I believe that today could arguably have been our longest, leaving at 8:30 in the morning and not getting back until almost 9:00 at night.  We began the day by going to Table Top Farms, an organic-oriented CSA farm on a slightly larger scale than the Wallace Country Center.  Dr. HN wanted us to visit this farm not simply because of the organic practices, but more so for the business practices and the narrative behind it.  The farm is run by Luke and Sally Gran, a young couple in their mid to late 20s, and they only started it a few years ago.  Yet even despite working on rented family land, they still struggled to get their farm up and running.   Although I didn’t quite understand some of the technicalities of their venture, I did manage to pick up a few points.  If you want to start a farm:

1) Have a plan.  They showed us a five-year plan that they created along with another couple (who later left) outlining their goals and strategies for growth.

2) Get loans.  Starting a farm requires a tremendous upfront cost, which most beginning farmers do not have.  Therefore, you need to get a loan.  Obtaining a loan from a bank for an organic operation is often difficult, but there are options through the Department of Agriculture’s loan programs, particularly when you are a beginning or younger farmer. However, banks require some kind of confidence that your venture will succeed, so you need to show them a plan for growth (see number 1).

3) Know your government.  There are many grants programs for minority and beginning farmers, otherwise known as the “socially disadvantaged.”  Additionally, the new Farm Bill includes new benefits for beginning, small, and organic farmers.  Luke, the finance manager, said that most of their net profit came from government assistance.  As mentioned earlier in the blog, this kind of narrative is actually common for many farmers, conventional or not.

4) Know your community.  It is best to know your neighbors, community farmers, and your customers.  In general, it is best to get to know those around you, but, if you have a problem, there is a 99.9% chance that a farmer close by will know how to fix it.  Both Luke and Sally said that they’ve received a huge amount of help from other farmers, which was especially helpful since they didn’t have much experience in farming when they started Table Top.  They will teach you how to farm better, fix your machines, and get to know your land.

5) Be patient.  Trying to build up a successful farm, especially an organic one, is a painfully slow process, and it is all about trial and error.  Each growing season is different, and the circumstances for your farm can change overnight, for the better or worse.

We learned all of this in the process of touring the farm and weeding the kale.  We used some kind of specialized gardening hoes and thus had to be careful to not rip up the plants.  Although I accidentally ripped off a leaf or two, I did not do near as bad as Dr. HN who managed to rip up an entire plant.

Weeding.

Rows and rows of nature’s goodness.

The ultimate compost pile with added water heater.

Next, we went to Des Moines to attend March Against Monsanto.  Monsanto is one of the biggest agricultural seed and technology companies in the world and is very much supportive of GMOs and the use of chemicals, many of which it produces.  Unfortunately, we misled ourselves into thinking we were attending a large protest rally type deal, when we were actually attending this.  It was more of a community awareness get-together, or as Cecily said as we were looking for the protest, “I can’t tell if that’s a birthday party or the protest.”  The event largely centered around getting to know what is in your food.  There were a series of four speakers: one cautioning against the use of chemicals because of health risks, a beekeeper telling about neonicotinoids (an insecticide that has been linked to bee deaths), a man for the Polk County Conservation Board, and Sherrie Taha, a woman running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.  Overall, the closest we got to anarchy was building “seed bombs,” balls of papier mache with flower seeds rolled it that you through in an empty lot of your choosing.  I wanted pepper spray.

After listening to them speak, we were given a tour of an urban garden.  The premise behind this is that members of the community who lack garden space in their own homes can rent small plots in this garden to grow their own produce.  I thought it was a neat idea to branch out and build the community around something healthy and productive.

Finally, we had to scooch on over to what looked to be a small, independent cinema house, named Fleur Cinema, to watch Fed Up.  This is a new documentary narrated by Katie Couric about the obesity epidemic, what caused it, and how to fix it.  To keep it short, the main argument is that clever marketing of processed foods with hidden and unhidden sugars is tricking us into eating more foods with lower fat and calories, even while we still gain more weight.  Therefore, you need to eat as little processed foods as possible.  Much of the attacks attacked the food establishment and the politics surrounding it.  Although it practically dismissed the importance of exercise, I think the movie played towards my overall philosophy towards eating that it is not so much the amount you eat, than it is what you eat that causes problems.  Nonetheless, I greatly enjoyed the film, and it brought up a lot of great points.

This was made for the Furman dining hall.

Well today probably had some of the most information yet. We went to a fairly large 14ish acre organic practice farm that’s still in its first few years, then went to an informational about issues centered on Monsanto with a tour around some urban gardens, finally ending with the movie Fed Up. While today’s activities were varied, they were very much centered on the sustainable agriculture side in both the practice and politics.

Starting with Table Top Farm; it was a considerably different operation than Mosa’s farm yesterday. The couple who runs it started with another couple who left last year since farming on such a small scale, especially when reliant on a client and local base for revenue, takes time to become profitable. They’ve been working the area for only a few years starting in 2011 aiming to do an organic certified project and starting with direct sales, farmers markets, and a CSA. Since last season was when the other couple left they’ve since relied solely on the CSA as they’d already built up the client base and have also gotten things established on the farm a bit more. One of them does work off-farm for further income, but it sounded like with the farm, governmental support for their environmentally beneficial practices, and this extra income they were doing well. They were even trying some new ideas with sustainable agriculture I’d never heard of like using the heat from a compost pile (which hits over 150) to heat their greenhouse to some extent. I’ll admit that some of the area appeared like it needed some attention, but I’m also used to the 1/4 garden at Furman which is manicured to look presentable and act more as a showcase garden than a place to sell food some days. Hearing the cost of investment and the unexpected problem of finding manageable land parcels for sale (Iowa usually sells hundreds of acres at once since it’s an entire farm or portion of one) was very interesting and gave us all a much more business-life side of the organic garden discussion. They were also really nice and personable people who chatted with us about their projects and some of the things we’d mentioned we’ll be doing in a few days while we weeded with them.

Next was the “march” against Monsanto. For those of you who don’t know, Monsanto is the first or second largest seed producer/chemical company that is focused on conventional agriculture. They make GMOs, pesticides (roundup), herbicides, and I believe fertilizers, which makes the company very controversial. We came in expecting a big public protest, but got there and it was actually a small gathering with speakers and an urban garden tour. We listened in for a bit about the harm of roundup-grown crops remaining in the animals they’re fed to (including us) and about the problems that mono crops and insecticides cause for bees (a major pollinator without which we’d lose 1/3 our plants). Then we saw the urban garden in the area where people rented their own plots and it was the largest I’d seen by far, but one could clearly see who worked hard and had experience vs those who forget or don’t put as much effort into it.

Last was our visit to the theater to see the new movie Fed Up (definitely recommended for those interested in food and health). The movie looked at the causes and claims around obesity and the significant growth in the number of obese children. The documentary claimed the advertising of sugary products to children, added sugars in essentially all processed food (from Nature Valley to Ragu), and the emphasis of the media on this being a personal problem to be solved by more exercise and personal responsibility led to the problem. The last of these is the most infuriating since it diverts attention about the problem from food companies to people and makes it their personal problem. Many “healthy” foods have less fats or calories, but more sugar. Most of the sugar-free items I’ve seen have artificial sweeteners, which have their own health issues (I’ve at least read multiple articles linking aspartame to serious health issues). The video argued we shouldn’t blame individuals, the amount of time it would take to work off the sugars in our diets would make that an impossible option and the “health” food can often be equally sweet as the junk food. Most importantly for them was regulation to make junk food stop the constant ads to children about eating junk food. Politics are something which I don’t claim to understand, but something complex and difficult enough to frustrate me anytime I start thinking through them. Although I don’t think it’s definitive or concrete the fact that the Princeton work described here http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/princeton-scholar-demise-of-democracy-america-tpm-interview claims that the average voters don’t matter compared to the influence of the upper class and business groups is part of the politics that frustrate me (I’d also put the recent Supreme Court decision involving individual campaign funding in the aggravating politics section, too). The movie certainly exaggerated the political problems I believe, but lobbying does cause change to governmental decisions and money allows for it. I’d just end this brief on the movie with something Dr. H-N himself said, it’s government allowing people to get what they want, cheap, good tasting food. In a lot of ways this is the cause of the problem.

Today served as kind of the ultimate experience of alternative agriculture. The day began with a trip to Tabletop Farms another organic (at least in practice) CSA farm. What was most notable about Tabletop was how it differed from yesterday’s farm. The Henry Wallace Farm is a part of the Henry Wallace Centers which is privileged to have a board of directors and donors so it operates as a non-profit organization. Meanwhile, the young couple, Luke and Sally Gran, who started and manage Tabletop had no such resources. It was really interesting to hear about the business side of the farm and by the time they finished explaining everything they had to do on their own I was in awe that they were still at it and seemed to be doing pretty well.

Luke and Sally’s story showed me how learning a diverse set of practical skills, from accounting to basic mechanics, can pay off in the long-term. And how when you lack certain skills you may need to depend on your social capital. Social capital was a word that Luke and Sally (I’m assuming this stems from Sally’s background as a sociology major) used very often and considered it one of their greatest resources. To them social capital referred to the web of relationships they had worked to create within their community. This web included neighbors, customers, old friends, and anyone else they had formed relationships with, and these connections enabled Luke and Sally to accomplish things that they otherwise might not have been able to on their own. This emphasis on community, which I have seen elsewhere in Iowa’s farm culture, contrasts with the individualistic attitude that many Americans have. While it seemed like Luke and Sally still have a lot of work to do before they have their feet planted firmly on the soil they seemed very hopeful for the future. It seemed that a willingness to continually learn new ways of doing things and new skills combined with the recognition of the benefits of reciprocal relationships were what had helped Luke and Sally to overcome various obstacles.

The first thing we did this morning was go to Tabletop Farms, which is an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm. It was run by a couple, so it was different from the farm we went to yesterday because it was their business and was not backed by a nonprofit organization like the Henry A. Wallace Center. This made the economic risks for the people running it that much greater. This was evidenced by the fact that they used to be in business with another couple who had chosen to leave the operation because of how stressful it was for them. It was really interesting to learn about all of the aspects of how they ran their farm and especially about the contraption in which they produced compost. Before leaving, we even got to help weed around the rows of kale.

The next activity on the list was to attend the March against Monsanto that was planned for this afternoon. While we did not really know what to expect, we figured it would be an interesting experience. I was hoping for more of an intense protest atmosphere with masses of protesters being beaten by the police, but it ended up just being more of a small informational gathering with speakers and tables set up about various things that were related to small scale, organic agriculture. One of the more interesting speakers was a man who raised bees and talked about why he believed that many of the chemicals being used in conventional farming nowadays are responsible for a lot of the decline in bee colonies. I had heard this argument before, and found it compelling so I enjoyed hearing him expand on it.

The last thing we did was go see the new food documentary, “Fed Up”, which took aim at processed sugar as being the most dangerous threat to our health currently in the United States. While I already knew that processed sugar was terrible for our health, it reminded me to pay more attention to how much of it I am consuming, since my vegan diet does not prevent the overconsumption of it, and I am certain that I could continue to cut down on it. Also, the film really emphasized the addictive properties of sugar, and I do not think that fact was exaggerated at all. We very much have a nation of kids and adults alike who are heavily addicted to sugar and other processed foods.

This morning we visited Table Top Farms and met Luke and Sally who ran their own organic practice farm. They began as a partnership, but now it is just them two, mostly Sally, and a few employees. Their main focus was community supported agriculture (CSA); in this business model, the farmer sells shares to customers who are then provided with boxes of fresh produce on a weekly basis over a set period of time.  It is something that I will look into when I get home because I had never heard of it before, but it sounds like a great option. It both supports your community and improves your nutrition by giving you weekly fruits and vegetables.

Speaking of improving nutrition, we saw the movie Fed Up today and its main focus was on the negative effects of sugar and processed foods have on our diet. It is obvious that we are becoming a more obese nation, beginning as children, which the movie focused on. Also, the main focus seemed to be on how big of a role the food companies play in our every day life and even when we try to combat them, they cover their own butts to ensure we don’t stop eating their products. They have the dollar sign in mind more than they have the nutrition of the people they serve. These big companies use their labels that say 20% less fat to draw us in, but fail to mention all the added sugar that harms us even more. I knew lots of things had sugar, but I didn’t know how much. I think CSAs could play a huge role in reversing some of these statistics if there was just a more informed public. The movie did downplay exercise which caught me a little off guard, because instead of saying everything is okay in moderation and to limit these things, the movie more or less called for them to them to be eliminated, which strikes me as something that will never happen. You cannot make people quit cold turkey on sodas, candies, and fast food, but if you keep them informed as well as give them healthy alternatives, a change may occur. I do agree with the movie that the change needs to start in the public school lunch rooms. If kids learn healthy alternatives they may take them home with them or encourage their parents to eat better as well. If not, they at least get one healthy meal a day.

The BIG protest of the day, also known as the March Against Monsanto, was no march. It was not the wild protest with fire and signs and screaming that I was expecting. It was a calm, small group of people who were wanting foods containing GMOs to be labeled as well as ending the use of pesticides. We did see the community garden which was cool because it gave people living in apartments a place to garden. That was my second favorite part of the protest. My favorite would have to be making the bombs. We made seed bombs out of papier mache and flower seeds. You roll the seeds up in the paper, squeeze out the water, and then throw it in an abandoned lot to make the wild flowers grow and make the scene a little more beautiful. That was about as wild as the protest got…

We began today working on a CSA farm called Table Top Farms, owned by Luke and Sally Gran. They were such pleasant people. I really enjoyed working with them, although I wish we spent more time working and less time standing around and talking. I feel like by now a lot of the basics of farming is repeated, and I would rather get into the nitty gritty details. Plus, it was early and kind of chilly. I did learn a lot from them, however. For example, it was the first time I had heard about alfalfa and oats, the so-called third rotation crops. I personally think that more farmers should alternate between corn, soybeans, and the alfalfa/oats combination since they would all bring in a profit while maintaining the soil. It’s not like farmers are ever going to not need alfalfa and oats for their livestock. This would also lead to a smaller (even if only minimally) supply of corn, leading to higher prices.

Next, we went to a protest against GMOs, advertised as “March Against Monsanto.” It was more of a public gathering about the benefits of organic food and the negative consequences of things like GMOs and chemicals, though. It was fun. It was nice to be able to listen to someone without them asking my thoughts since my thoughts on the topic are still developing. The animals, of course, were my favorite part. The urban garden that we went to was really cool, too, though. I didn’t even know there was an option for people to farm unless they had room on their own land. It was clear that people really cared for their plots. At $25 for a plot for a season, it seems like a great price, since water is included. My mom would love something like that.

After that, we went to see the movie Fed Up, which was about the “epidemic” of obesity in America. It had some good points, but I really do not agree with the documentary makers’ suggestions for combating obesity. I realize that America has an obesity problem, but I do not believe it is something in which the government needs to be heavily involved. For example, when the interviewer was interviewing the woman about what Coca-Cola is doing to help, she kept insinuating that they should take existing Coke products off of the shelf. I do not think that that is reasonable. If people want to drink coke, there is no reason why they shouldn’t have that option. The greatest aspect of our capitalist society is the multitude of choices we have. The government is overstepping its limits when it begins to regulate what can and cannot be sold to the public, especially something like a drink. If the government begins to regulate what we can and can’t eat, what we can and can’t drink, where does it stop?

Further, they made it seem like the food industry is wholly responsible for the obesity problem and that exercise and personal responsibility doesn’t play in at all. This I completely disagree with. Yes, the unhealthy options are out there and, yes, there are very influential advertisements, but there are healthy options as well. No one is forcing anyone into eating the foods that lead to obesity or hinder weight loss. Especially if there is a young child who is severely overweight, I believe that the responsibility falls on the parent. It is their job to keep their kids safe and healthy, so if they see that they are starting to get too heavy they should reduce their unhealthy food intake and encourage more exercise. I have eaten fast food and drank soda my entire life while managing to stay a healthy weight, even under weight at times. I attribute this to my highly active lifestyle, but one could argue that it is because I’m hypoglycemic. To that I would tell them to look at my brother. He is healthy, eats nothing but junk, and weighs barely 140 pounds at six foot tall. People need to start taking responsibility for their own health and quit blaming everyone else.

One of the movie’s main arguments was the comparison between unhealthy food and cigarettes. While I do see the connection, I think it is exaggerated. Cigarettes are not only a hazard for those who smoke them but to everyone around the smoker due to secondhand smoke. Unhealthy food only affects the person eating it, so there is no reason to regulate it like cigarettes. Putting health warnings on unhealthy food, however, is a good suggestion. For example, coke bottles could have a warning saying “could lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.” Further, at least in South Carolina, all schools have a salad option every day, and it is not the school’s fault if the children do not choose it. Having only healthy options is great in theory but not practical. Chain restaurants like Papa Johns offers discounts to schools, making it a cheaper option. Changing the food would make it more expensive to students and many students that I know, who do not currently qualify for free lunch, would not be able to afford it. Again, its good to have options.

The movie also claimed that eating unhealthy is an addiction. I can understand that. However, just because there are alcoholics, we do not ban the production, sale, and advertisement of it. We send the alcoholics to rehab so they can get help. Perhaps we should develop obesity rehabs where those who suffer from obesity, children to adults, can go where unhealthy options are not available to them without restricting everyone else. While unhealthy eating may be an addiction similar to alcoholism, it doesn’t mean that everyone cannot control themselves.

What really bothers me is that obesity gets a lot of attention while eating disorders do not and are still even stigmatized. For every obese person I know, I know at least one person who has suffered or currently suffers from some kind of eating disorder. The constant media attention on the importance of being thin only strengthens these disorders that are just as deadly, if not more, than obesity. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), up to 24 million people in the US suffer from some sort of eating disorder. Even more disturbing is the fact that 81% of ten year olds are afraid of being fat. Has it not occurred to anyone that the emphasis on not being fat is directly related to the prevalence of eating disorders? All in all, I thought the movie cherry picked a lot of data and information to focus on one specific problem while ignoring the big picture.